Multiple spindle grinder



March 13, 1934. 5 R, s n- ET AL 1,950,524

MULTIPLE SPINDLE GRINDER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 13, 1934. E, R sMlTH AL 1,950,524

MULTIPLE SPINDLE GRINDER 'Filed Aug. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 13, 1934. E SMITH ET AL 1,950,524

MULTIPLE SPINDLE GRINDER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 13, 1934. E. R. SMITH ET AL MULTIPLE SPINDLE GRINDER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 13, 1934. R s T ET AL 1,950,524

MULTIPLE SPINDLE GRINDER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED MULTHPLE SPINDLE GRINDER Massachusetts Application August 3, 1931, Serial No. 554,719 7 Claims. ('01. 51-108) This invention relates to a machine in which duplicate external grinding operations may be effectively performed.

It is an important object of our invention to provide a machine in which a plurality of grinding wheels operate successively upon a piece of rotating work. A further object is to provide a machine in which the grinding wheels rotate on fixed axes, while the work rotates on a movable axis, and is moved toward and past the grinding wheel during the grinding operation.

We also provide a machine in which either cylindrical, conical, or contoured work may be conveniently produced, and a machine in which loading and unloading operations may be conveniently performed during the grinding of other pieces of work.

Our invention also relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention, together with a modification thereof, is shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our improved grinding machine;

Fig. 2 is an end View, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the driving mechanism and one of the work spindles Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detailed sectional elevations, taken on the line 44, 5-5, and 66 respectively in Fig. 3;-

Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. 3;-

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view, taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a sectional end elevation, taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 1;-

Fig. 10 is a sectional side elevation of one of the wheel slides;-

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the method of grinding in our improved machine, and

Fig. 12 is a sectional end elevation showing a modification.

Briefly described, our improved grinding machine comprises a rotating carrier or supporting frame in which a series of work pieces W are rotatably mounted in an annular series. An annular series of grinding wheels G are mounted in fixed positions in the machine and are adjusted to successively engage the work pieces W as they are moved in a circular path past the different grinding wheels.

Two sets of grinding wheels may be provided, so

as to operate upon two different portions of each piece of work W at the same time. The wheels in one or both of these sets may be swiveled for producing conical surfaces if so desired.

The Work feed during the grinding operation is effected entirely by the advance movement ofthe work in its circular path, and no additional or automatic feeding means is necessary.

Having described the general construction and operation of our improved machine, we will now describe the detailed construction thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, we have provided a grinding machine having a frame 20 provided with bearings 21 for a rotatable Work supporting frame or carrier 22 (Fig. 9). The supporting frame 22 is provided with a plurality of radially extending portions 23, to which elongated brackets or work supporting bases 24 are secured.-

A head stock 25 (Fig. 1) and a tail stock 26 are mounted on \l-shaped guideways on each bracket 24, and are secured in adjusted longitudinal position by clamping screws 28. The tail stock 26 may be of any usual construction and is provided with a tail center 30 and with a clamping handle 31.

Head stock and drive The detailed construction of the head stock 25 is best shown in Fig. 3 and comprises a Work spindle 33, mounted in the head stock 25 and provided with a head center 34, a driving disk 35 and a gear 36 engaged by a pinion 37 on a pinion shaft 38, also rotatable in a bearing in the head stock 25. The shaft 38 is axially elongated and extends through an additional bearing 39 on the bracket 24.

A bevel gear 40 rotates freely on the extended end portion of the pinion shaft 38 and is engaged by a bevel gear 41, mounted on a radially disposed shaft 42 rotatable in a bearing in the supporting frame or carrier 22 and having a bevel gear 43 engaged by a bevel gear 44 on a shaft 45, rotatable in an axial opening in the supporting frame 22.

The shaft 45 is provided with a sprocket wheel 46 connected by a sprocket chain or belt 47 to a sprocket wheel 48 on a shaft 49 mounted in a fixed bearing in a casing 50 secured to the frame 20 of the machine.

Shaft 49 is connected by gears 50 and 51 to a shaft 52, which in turn is connected by a sprocket wheel 53, belt or chain 54 and sprocket wheel 55 to a motor M.

Through the connections above described, the bevel gear 40 is continuously rotated about the carriage 68.

axis of the pinion shaft 38. The hub of the gear 40 is provided with clutch teeth engageable by similar clutch teeth on a grooved collar 60, keyed to the shaft 38 and yieldingly moved to engaging position by a coil spring 61.

During the grinding operation the clutch collar is engaged, and the pieces of work W are continuously rotated by the motor M through the described connections.

As each finished work piece W approaches the front or loading position indicated at A in Fig. 9, the clutch collar 60 is engaged by a cam member 62 (Fig. 1) mounted on fixed supports 63 and acting to disengage the clutch as the work approaches load position. As the new piece of Work leaves the loading position the clutch collar is released and engages the bevel gear 10, which thereafter continuously rotates the work during the successive grinding operations thereon.

Grinding mechanism A series of grinding wheels G are provided, each mounted on a grinding spindle 65 (Fig. 10) rotatable-in a wheel slide 66. Each wheel slide 66 is mounted in guideways on a swivel plate 67 which is mounted for angular adjustment on a wheel carriage 68 which in turn is adjustable axially of the wheels and work on guideways 69 formed on or secured to the frame 20. Two adjusting screws 70 and '71 are mounted in bearings in each guideway 69 and extend axially substantially to the center of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 1. The screws '70 and. '71 project outward at the ends of the machine and are squared to receive a suitable wrench or handle.

Each adjusting screw '70 is held from longitudinal movement and is threaded into a depending projection '72 (Fig. 10) of the wheel Rotation of the screw '70 causes longitudinal adjustment of the corresponding wheel carriage and grinding wheel longitudinally of the work.

Each adjusting screw 71 is keyed or grooved to receive and drive a bevel gear '74, mounted in the wheel carriage 68 and engaging a bevel gear 75 on the lower end of a shaft '76, rotatable in an axial opening in the swivel plate 67. A bevel gear 7'7 is secured to the upper end of the shaft '76 and engages a bevel gear '78 mounted in a bearing in the top of the swivel plate 6'7 and held from axial movement therein.

The hub portion of the bevel gear '78 is threaded to receive a lead screw 89, mounted beneath the wheel slide 66 and fixed in relation thereto.

When the adjusting screw '71 is turned, the bevel gear 78 is rotated about the screw 80 and causes longitudinal movement of the screw relatively thereto, with corresponding movement of the wheel slide 66.

A gib 82 (Fig. 10) is provided for clamping the wheel carriage 68 in longitudinally adjusted position and bolts 83 having their heads positioned in T-slots 84 (Fig. 10) secure the swivel plate 6'7 in any desired angular adjustment relative to the wheel carriage 63.

As the bevel gear shaft '76 is concentric with the axis of the swivel plate 6'7, the adjusting screw '71 is operative in all angular positions of the swivel plate and wheel slide. 70-

Worlc loading and feeding mechanism provided for successively engaging a portion of a piece of work as the work supporting frame is moved in an anti-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow at in Fig. 9. The fifth position on the work supporting frame is the loading position, indicated at A in Fig. 9.

Automatic mechanism is provided for giving the work supporting frame 22 alternated, fast and slow, angular feeding movements. The fast movement is provided for advancing the work from one grinding position to the next, and the slow movement is provided for feeding the work toward the wheel during each grinding operation.

We will now describe the fast and slow feeding mechanism which we have shown for illustration. A worm gear (Fig. 3) is mounted on an extension of the work supporting frame 22, and

is engaged by a worm 91 (Fig. 6) on a worm shaft 92 supported in fixed bearings and extending through a worm gear 93, a clutch collar 94, and a spiral gear 95. The gears 93 and 95 are freely rotatable on the shaft 92 and are provided with clutch teeth alternately engageable with a clutch collar 94 which is keyed to the shaft 92 but is axially slidable thereon.

The worm gear 93 (Fig. 5) is engaged by a worm 96 mounted on a short shaft 9'7 having a pinion 98 fixed thereon. The pinion 98 is connected by an intermediate gear 99 (Fig. 3) to a gear 100 on the motor-driven shaft 52 previously described.

The spiral gear 95 is engaged by a similar spiral gear 102 (Fig. 4) on a shaft 103 to which the intermediate gear 99 is also secured.

With these driving connections, it will be evident that the spiral gear 95 will be rotated at approximately the speed of the shaft 52 and gear 100, while the worm gear 93 will be rotated at a very much reduced speed by the worm 96.

When the clutch collar 94 engages the spiral gear 95, the worm gear 90 and supporting frame 22 will be turned to advance the work angularly at relatively high speed from one grinding position to the next. When the clutch collar 94 engages the worm gear 93, the worm gear 90 and frame 22 will be turned relatively slowly during a grinding operation.

In order to shift automatically from high speed to low speed, we provide a cam (Figs. 3 and '7) mounted on a shaft 111 provided with a pinion 112 (Fig. 3) engaging a gear 113 on the work supporting frame 22. The pinion 112 and gear 113 have a 1 to 5 ratio, so that the cam 110 rotates 5 times for every complete revolution of the work supporting frame, or rotates once for each advance movement of the work from one grinding position to the next.

A cam roll 115 (Fig. '7) is mounted on the end of a sliding bar 116 and is positioned in a cam groove 117 in the side of the cam 110. The slide 116 (Figs. 3 and 8) has a pin and slot connection with an arm 118, mounted on a fixed pivot 119 (Fig. 8) and having a yoke member 120 secured thereto.

The cam groove 11'! is so designed that the spiral gear 95 will be connected to move the work supporting frame 22 rapidly for a certain period of time, to advance the work from one grinding position to the next, and the worm gear 93 will be connected for a further period of time, during which the pieces of work approach and pass the grinding wheels.

The grinding wheels G are adjusted so that the first wheel G takes a roughing out as the work advances from loading position and is engaged thereby. The wheels G and G take additional coarse cuts, reducing the work approximately to the desired diameter, and the grinding wheel G is preferably utilized for taking a finishing out.

In each case the feed of the work is effected by the relative travel of the work in a segmental path past the grinding wheel, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 11. As the feed of the work is effected entirely by the segmental movement of the work support, no automatic work feeding mechanism is necessary in the operation of our improved machine, and the machine is very much simplified by the omission of such feeding mechanism. Furthermore the grinding wheels are all mounted and secured in fixed and rigid positions during the grinding operation, whereby the accuracy of the work is much improved.

Instead of using four wheels G, G G and G for successive roughing and finishing cuts on the same portions of the work, the wheels may be longitudinally adjusted to work singly or in suc cession on two or more axially spaced portions of the work.

Furthermore it will be noted that the machine operates upon four pieces of work at a time and that provision is made for reloading at one sta tion during each grinding operation, so that the machine operates practically continuously and operates at all times at four out of the five work positions or stations.

The grinding wheels G may be rotated in any convenient manner, as by individual motors N as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 12 we have shown a simplified form of our invention, in which the rotating work supporting frame 130 is provided with three work spindles 131 and two grinding wheels 132 and 133 are supported on the bed or frame 134 of the machine. With this construction, the loading position is at the top, with the roughing or coarse grinding operation performed by the grinding wheel 132 and with the finish grinding operation performed by the grinding wheel 133.

For finishing work in which only a small amount of material is to be removed, this form of our invention is satisfactory, and obviously may be built at a greatly reduced cost.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the appended claims, but what we claim is:-

1. A grinding machine comprising grinding wheels positioned in an annular series, a rotatable work-supporting frame effective to transport a piece of work successively to said different grinding wheels, said grinding machine having a loading position between two spaced grinding positions, automatic means to intermittently advance said frame to successive loading and grinding positions, means to support and continuously rotate the work on said supporting frame, and automatic means to interrupt such rotation of each piece of finished work and its supporting means as it approaches loading position.

2. A grinding machine comprising a plurality of grinding wheels positioned in an annular series, a rotatable work-supporting frame effective to transport a piece of work successively to and past said different grinding wheels, said grinding machine having a loading position between two spaced grinding positions, automatic means to intermittently advance said frame to successive loading and grinding positions, means to support and continuously rotate the work on said supporting frame, and means to interrupt such rotation of each finished piece of work and its supporting means, said means including a clutch for each separate work supporting means and cam means effective to automatically disengage said clutch as the finished piece of work approaches loading position.

3. In a grinding machine, a work supporting frame, a plurality of grinding wheels grouped in pairs in an annular series about said frame, means to independently adjust each wheel of each pair angularly, axially and radially with respect to the work, means to secure each wheel in selected operating position, and means to rotate each piece of work about its own axis and to independently turn said work supporting frame about its axis to successively present the work pieces to the successive grinding wheels.

4. In a grinding machine, a work supporting frame, a plurality of grinding wheels grouped in pairs in an annular series about said frame, means to independently adjust each wheel of each pair angularly, axially and radially with respect to the work, means to secure each wheel in selected operating position, and means to rotate each piece of work about its own axis and to independently turn said work supporting frame about its axis to successively present the work pieces to the successive grinding wheels with alternated fast transfer movements and slow work feeding movements.

5. A multiple spindle grinder comprising a plurality of grinding wheels mounted in an annular series of grinding positions, a work supporting frame, an annular series of work spindles mounted on said frame and angularly spaced to correspond to the spacing of said grinding wheels, the axes of said work spindles being parallel to the axis of said supporting frame and substantially parallel to the axes of said grinding wheels, a driving clutch for each work spindle and automatic means to disengage each clutch and stop the rotation of each work spindle when said spindle approaches loading position.

6. A multiple spindle grinder comprising a plurality of grinding wheels mounted in an annular series of grinding positions, a work sup-porting frame, an annularseries of work spindles mounted on said frame and angularly spaced to correspond to the spacing of said grinding wheels, the axes of said work spindles being parallel to the axis of said supporting frame and substantially parallel to the axes of said grinding wheels, a driving clutch for each work spindle and automatic means to disengage each clutch and stop the rotation of each work spindle when said spindle approaches loading position, and to reengage said clutch as said spindle passes beyond loading position.

I. A grinding machine having a rotatable work supporting frame, grinding wheels disposed in an annular series about said frame, means to support a plurality of work pieces on separate axes symmetrically disposed on said supporting frame, means to rotate said plurality of work pieces, and additional means to move said work supporting frame angularly at a selected high or low speed, said latter means including spiral high-speed gearing, low-speed worm gearing, and a clutch operable to engage either the spiral gearing or the worm gearing.

EDWIN R. SMITH. ALBERT SCHINKEZ. 

